"Circasian Beauty" of the Bowery, Charles Eisenmann c. 1880s Carte de Visite manual of gymnastic exercises Lion and Wolf against bold

Lion and Wolf against bold blue on this one won my heart--including for leaving one to imagine the snouts of their faces poking through the holes

then varnished

filled with whiskey and perhaps tucked into a coat pocket as one heads out for a ski or long walk through the woods

And how to beat the little shepherd at bottom

or give it a really nice spot on the shelf

"Circasian Beauty" of the Bowery, Charles Eisenmann c. 1880s Carte de Visite manual of gymnastic exercises Lion and Wolf against boldI didn't know about "Circasian Beauties" when I found this carte de visite photo by Charles Eisenmann, a well known New York Bowery district photographer of the 1880s, most (in)famous for his photographs of side show figures from the Barnum and Bailey circus, including "Siamese Twins" Chang and Eng, and "Jojo the Dog faced Boy." I've since learned a bit about the long history of fascination with "Circassian" women, and P. T Barnum's invention and